Twenty-seven members of the U.S. Congress have urged Senators Marco Rubio and Mike Huckabee to secure the release of Palestinian-American teenager Mohammed Ibrahim, who has been detained by Israeli authorities for eight months. The lawmakers also highlighted that Ibrahim's cousin, 20-year-old U.S. citizen Sayfollah Musallet, was killed by Israeli settlers in July, with no arrests made by Israeli authorities to date. Ibrahim has reportedly lost significant weight and contracted scabies during his detention. In parallel, N12 News reported that Israel eliminated five prominent terror operatives in Gaza in recent days, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly taking advantage of Hamas ceasefire breaches to target individuals in northern Gaza. This development follows previous reports from October 22nd, 2025, citing an NBC News source estimating that Hamas retains between 10,000 and 20,000 fighters in Gaza, despite an estimated 20,000 casualties during the conflict. The detention of Mohammed Ibrahim and the killing of his cousin Sayfollah Musallet occurred prior to the reporting window. The lawmakers' appeal, which includes the specific details of Ibrahim's eight-month detention and his cousin's death in July, was made public during this period. The elimination of terror operatives in Gaza by the IDF was also reported within the last hour. Previous reports from October 22nd, 2025, indicated that the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned Israeli Knesset's move to impose sovereignty on Palestinian land. Separately, geo-analyst Ben-Zion Makles estimated that approximately 62 percent of buildings in Gaza were destroyed during the "Eighth Assembly War." The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs also rejected the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) "advisory opinion" regarding UNRWA, citing alleged Hamas infiltration. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced her government's preparedness to assist in training Palestinian police and leaders and in Gaza's reconstruction. Further context from October 22nd, 2025, included reports of Israeli security concerns about Hamas tunnels under schools and increased arms smuggling from Egypt into Israel, with 550 fence crossings detected in the preceding 72 hours. U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance was scheduled for a significant meeting with Israeli security officials on October 23rd, 2025, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reported statement that Turkey would not be permitted to enter Gaza.
